2022 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Review: British Invasion

The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is the drop-top version of Aston Martin’s two-seater rear-wheel drive front-engined sports coupe. There have been some limited-run versions of the car sporting V12 engines and manual gearboxes, but as it currently stands, the Vantage is available with a 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. This burly V8 is sourced from the good folks at Mercedes-AMG, and sends 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. The lack of roof makes it a touch slower than its hard-top iteration, meaning it can “only” top out at 190 instead of 195, and get from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds rather than 3.6.

While the engine may be from Mercedes, it’s housed in an all-Aston body. Redesigned from the ground up as the previous iteration of Vantage concluded a 12-year model run, the new Vantage is very purposefully engineered to elevate performance. Its wheels are pushed out to the farthest corners of the car, limiting any overhang and accentuating the sports car’s low, predatory stance.

There are distinct Aston Martin styling cues it shares with its current lineup family, the DB 11 grand tourer and the DBX performance SUV. That being a hard-to-miss grille, aluminum clamshell hood, and narrow headlamps that further push the hunter narrative the car is telling with its style. Side vents channel air from the well that houses its 20-inch alloy wheels along the side to its short but busy rear, beneath which you’ll find the telltale slats of the diffuser prominently displaying itself. Removing the top doesn’t take away form the Vantage’s design, either. While the cloth top is slightly less elegant, it lowers quite quickly, so there’s little time to dwell on it.